


Birthdays

by awtuscany



Series: Kingdom Hearts and Found Families [1]
Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Birthday Fluff, Birthday Presents, Feels, Fluff and Angst, Friendship and Jealously and Feels, Headcanon, Implied Jealous Luxu, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Jealousy, Other, Pre-Back Cover, Unhappy Ending, Young Foretellers, birthday angst, me about ava; 'i just think she's neat!'
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-17
Updated: 2019-06-17
Packaged: 2020-05-13 11:49:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,244
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19250611
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/awtuscany/pseuds/awtuscany
Summary: Ava didn't know what a birthday was until Luxu came to live at the clocktower.





	Birthdays

Ava is seven when she first hears about birthdays. Luxu is the one who explains it to her. He had only been with Ava and The Master for a few months and one day he started talking and talking about something called a birthday.

"What's a birthday," Ava asks as she fills in answers in her workbook.

The pencil drops from Luxu's hand, his eyes are wide as if he can't believe what he's hearing.

"You don't know what a birthday is?!"

Ava shakes her head, looking confused as she picks up the pencil for him.

"Does that mean you don't know your birthday? The day you were born?"

"No," Ava replies. "Master says he found me in a box when I was a baby, does that count?"

"No," Luxu says shaking his head. His gold eyes are wide and then they seem to harden with the determination only a child can have. "If you don't know when your birthday is you can share mine!"

"What? What is a birthday anyway?"

"It's the day you were born! And everyone who cares about you shows up for food and they give you presents!"

"What's a present?"

"It's when someone gives you something to show they care about you! My parents used to get me toys..."

Luxu goes quiet like he always does when he mentions his parents. Ava doesn't really know what a parent is, The Master sort of explained it to her. It's the people or person who cares for a child and raises them. Which led to Ava asking him if he was hers, which just got her a laugh and a pat on the head.

"We'll share a birthday from now on," Luxu says again as he grabs Ava's hand and grins. "And we'll celebrate together!"

A few days later the two are sneaking out of the clocktower down to the waterways below, Ava is carrying a bag with sandwiches that she made and Luxu is carrying a small beat up box. They sit on the edge of the walkway, their feet dangling in the water as Luxu hands her the beat up box.

"Here! Your first present!"

"I didn't get you anything..."

"That's okay," Luxu says with a smile. "You made sandwiches!"

"Does that count?"

"It can this time."

Ava scrunches up her face but then nods and opens the tattered box. Inside is a small stuffed pink fox which looks brands new. Ava blinks as she pulls it out of the box.

"I know it isn't pretty..." Luxu starts. "But I still had some munny from before I came to live here, I had to sneak out to the market place to get it. I didn't know what your favorite color was so I just got pink... I hope it's okay."

"I love it," Ava says as she hugs it close.

Luxu beams as he pulls a sandwich out of the bag, it looks slightly squashed and some of the stuffing is coming out but he takes a big bite out of it.

"It's good," he says with a full mouth.

Ava giggles.

They stay down there for a while before they head back to avoid The Master from figuring out they're missing. The next year their back, Ava carrying a container of pasta salad and a small tattered box. Luxu hiding something inside his coat.

"Happy Birthday," Ava says as she hands Luxu the box.

Luxu looks at her puzzled before opening the box. inside is a pack of hair ties, he blinks and pulls them out.

"I like my hair short," Ava says. "But you like yours long. I can teach you how to put it up in a ponytail! It'll stay out of your face that way!"

"Would you," Luxu asks as he pushes his long hair out of his face.

Ava nods and Luxu beams before pulling out a book from his coat. He hands it to Ava who stares at it in amazement.

"I know you wanted it," Luxu begins. "But The Master said no, so I got it for you."

"Thank you..."

It becomes a tradition for the two, even when later that same year The Master brings in two older boys, Aced and Ira, to study under him. Luxu and Ava agree not to tell the older boys about their birthday outings. Five years later when The Master brings another student, Invi in, they agree again not to include her. They're almost seventeen when The Master brings in one last student, Gula. Unlike Aced, Ira and Invi, Gula's the same age as them.

It happens without Ava really thinking about it, one moment she's reading in the library and the next she's chatting with Gula.

"You and Luxu were really raised by The Master," Gula asks at one point.

"We were," Ava says. "The Master raised me from a baby and took Luxu in after his parents died."

"What was it like?"

"Well... I didn't know what a birthday was until Luxu came alone," Ava says. "In fact, ours is coming up soon."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, Luxu's and I."

"Well, Happy early Birthday."

Ava's heart clenches. The only person who ever wishes her a Happy Birthday is Luxu, he's been the only one to care about that for as long as Ava can remember.

"Would you like to come with Luxu and me to celebrate," Ava asks before she can stop herself.

"Sure... I didn't realize The Master allowed that."

"He doesn't know. We usually have it in the waterways below the tower," Ava whispers. "We meet at the elevator when The Master goes in his study for the evening. Meet us there."

"Will do."

Gula smiles at her before heading off and Ava isn't sure what this feeling in her chest is. She feels light as she rushes off to tell Luxu.

"Luxu," Ava says excitedly as she burst into his room. He screams and scrambles to hid something in his desk. "What's that?"

"Nothing!"

"Oh come one! Show me!"

"I can't! It's a surprise!"

Ava's eyes light up. "Is it my birthday present?"

"Yes," Luxu says with a smirk. "But you can't see it yet. That would ruin it!"

"About our birthdays," Ava says as she sits down on Luxu's bed. "I invited the new student, Gula, to join us."

"What," Luxu demands, his gold eyes narrow. "Why would you do that?"

"I want to be his friend," Ava says with a shrug. "He wished me a Happy early Birthday when I told him ours was soon and I thought... Maybe he could be a part of our celebration this year."

"We barely know him! What if he tells?"

"I don't think he will."

"You don't know that! If he's going I'm not."

"Luxu!"

"I mean it! You didn't even ask me!"

"Why should I?! It's my birthday too!"

"Only because I felt bad that you didn't know your actual birthday!"

Luxu's hand flies to his mouth, a look of regret passes over his face as Ava feels tears well in her eyes. She stands and rushes to leave the room, Luxu stands up quickly and grabs her arm.

"Wait!"

She tears her arm out of his grip and runs, tears streaming down her face.

 

 

Luxu doesn't show up at the elevator when the time comes. Ava hides the birthday present she got for him. She never did find out what it was he had gotten for her.

 

 

The first crack forms.

**Author's Note:**

> Well... That was sad.
> 
> My headcanon for Ava, Luxu, and Gula and where their complex relationship started. Ava, abandoned as a baby was raised by M.o.M. Luxu was taken in at the age of six after his parents died. Everyone else was brought on slowly by M.o.M as live in students
> 
> Aced and Ira are five years older than Luxu, Ava, and Gula.  
> Invi is three years older than Luxu, Ava, and Gula.  
> Luxu, Ava, and Gula are all the same age.


End file.
